Expenses

Total Days: 24Total Expenses: 1,220 USDAverage: 51 USD/day

I stayed only in private rooms. In general, things are cheap in Iran, although I must have saved some money by not eating lunch every day. It was Ramadan during my entire stay there, and it was very hard to find restaurants that were open during the day.

The black-market exchange rate when I was there was 1 USD to 34,000 rials.

How Is It Like to Backpack in Iran?

Logistically, it was easy. Many hotels/hostels that cater to tourists can help you book train or bus tickets, or arrange taxis for day trips. The buses and trains I took were modern and on time.

I was a little scared before going, expecting a police state where you are being watched everywhere. In reality, I didn’t see one single police officer in many of the smaller cities. Maybe they are undercover, but I felt pretty safe and relaxed overall.

Hostel dorm beds are not as prevalent as in some other countries, but you can still find them in the bigger cities. On the other hand, decent private rooms are not very expensive.

Because of embargoes, your foreign credit or debit cards will probably not work in the country. You’ll need to bring all of your spending money in cash when entering Iran.

Even in some of the more decent hotels, they only had squat toilets instead of western ones. Work on those leg muscles before going!

Conclusion

Iran now holds a special place in my heart. It’s exotic, beautiful, full of history. Its people are extremely welcoming and friendly, and it’s one of the countries I want to go back the most.